Preparing for Winter V

Laura_Elsewhere

Mummy2cheekymonkeys said:

I've never tried sloe jam before, only sloe gin! Wondering now what it would be like. What do you use the sloe jelly for?  I'm intrigued now!!

Well,  I loathe gin! So I'm making a couple of small 250ml jars for relatives, but otherwise I'm treating these as I would damsons... I'll halve and de-stone a few to see if it's worth bothering, and if so I'll make some jam; if it's just too little flesh (they are very very plump ones, though) then I won't bother and will just make jelly for the lot. 

I grew up on a 1970s casserole called Lamb Shrewsbury - turns out to be loosely based on a sauce served in Shrewsbury inns with roast mutton in the late 19th century - basically just a nice lamb stew with onions and a bit of parsley over it, but flavoured strongly with plenty of redcurrant jelly and Lea&Perrins cooked into it. I use homemade damson jelly instead and will use the sloe jelly for that as well - but also just eating it on bread and butter or toast, I expect. I use barberry (mahonia) jelly on bread and butter and it's delicious... 

VintageHistorian

All the bonus acorns etc maybe because it's a "mast year" this year (this article is from 2017 but I've seen some chatter on Twitter about 2020 also being a mast year) - https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2017/10/autumn-is-back/

Si_Clist

Thanks for that very interesting link

Laura_Elsewhere

@VintageHistorian, many thanks for that. I knew you get years with a heavy and years with a light crop but not why...

skogar

Sloe jelly is delicious. It's well worth making some. Most of ours just gets eaten on bread but good with rice pudding and to use as you would red currant jelly. I use 1/2 sloes, half crab apples (or cooking apples if no crab apples).

skogar

Don't make sle gin myself but have been told by a friend that the sozzled sloes when removed from the gin can be used to make nice flapjacks.

Laura_Elsewhere

@skogar - excellent, thanks - I have some cookers that need using, and more up the hill if I need them! 

In 2017, a woman i knew very very slightly just from passing each other out walking locally asked if I could use any damsons, as their tree was groaning under them.... she left a bag as promised on my bicycle handlebars at the back of our flats - 16 1/2 lbs!!! We're still finishing off that batch of damson cheese  
I hadn't seen her around for ages, but I knew which house it was - so a couple of weeks ago we went and asked hopefully and she was delighted someone could use some, although they were right at the end of their usefulness! Next year I'm going to go and do a bit of digging for her, in her veg patch, and we'll go damson-picking a bit earlier, and get plenty  
Nice bit of each-helping-the-other!

3secondmemory

skogar said:

Don't make sle gin myself but have been told by a friend that the sozzled sloes when removed from the gin can be used to make nice flapjacks.

And fudge

VJsmum

https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2020/sep/30/denim-is-rubbish-for-keeping-you-warm-experts-tips-for-cold-weather-dressing?CMP=fb_gu&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR2CrwGGX_aaS0MVIzwqjkZAEHTh2r3kHwxHvh-vALOMquja-xYeGPjtlug#Echobox=1601457729

Some might be interested in this article about clothing that keeps you warm.  I am seriously considering the rechargeable warming gilet..

3secondmemory

Failure to thrive – lovely new  phrase in the Media! The lonely the old and the sick are being labelled in this way as if it’s our fault we can’t get our regular tests and treatment.

On a more positive note, my cheerful overweight clinical nurse – the one who told me to drink more water when I actually had a urine infection - noted that my weight remains ‘stable’ at 46 kg. From my point of view, my weight remains dangerously low and I don’t have any more to lose. 

Whilst I understand how much pressure the hospitals are going to be under over the winter just with normal coughs and flu, Those of us with ongoing conditions can’t get hold of the doctor for love nor money. Not all of us can access the econsults. 

 It’s taken all day to get through to any of the phlebotomy numbers so I can have a blood test prior to my appointment next week. 

Moan over


I can thoroughly recommend the small dreamland intelliheat  pad - you can unplug it and shove it inside your coat if you’re really cold. Not quite a heated gilet but it works for me 😃